Method of making wheels



Aug. 5, 1930. H. H. WILLIAMS n 1,772,273

METHOD OF MAKING WHEELS Original Filed Nov. ll. 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet .1

Aug- 5 1930- H. H. WILLIAMS ,772,273

METHOD OF. MAKING WHEELS Original Filed Nov. 1l. 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 w The accompanying drawings illustrate Patented Aug. 5, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT A(weres i IEERBEIJI'` E. WILLIAMS, OF BROOKLYN, NEW/" YORK, YASSIG'NOR TO THOMAS E. MURRAY, OF BROOKLYN,NEW'YORK; JOSEPH BRADLEY vMURRAY, THOMAS E. MURRAY, JR., AND JOHN F.' MURRAY, EXECUTORS vOF SAID THOMAS E. MURRAY, DECEASED, AS- SIGNORS TO METROPOLITAN ENGINEERING-COMPANY, A CORPORATION' OFN'EW YORK p METHOD on MAKING WHEELS Appneetieii med November i11,1924, serial in. maiis.Y Renewed .my` e, i929.

Myinvention aims to provide an improved method of construction for vehicle wheels and particularly for automobile wheels, in which the accurate centering of certain parts is facilitated. In the specific embodiment of the invention herein described the hub of the wheel and a brake drum are combined in practically one structureand the drum is accurately formed about the center of the hub.

embodiments of the invention.

Figs. l, 27 3 and 4e are diametric sections illustrating the successive steps in producing awheel;

Fig. is a side elevation of the center `of the wheel.

VF ig. 6 is a diametric' section illustratingv a modification. I'

Referring to the drawings, a wheel hub l is machined to the desired dimensions, with an exactly centered hole for the axle and Vwith a shoulder 2 on the inner end against which the brake drum is to be welded. Such al hub may be out out of bar stock on a screw machine and thus produced at a minimum cost; or it maybe of forged if'thedesign requiresiti A flat disc 3 of the required -thickness is provided with a central opening fitting over or cast metal the end l of the hub and surrounded by a flange 5 which registers with theshoulder on the hub. The hub and disc are then welded together preferably by the Murray method of welding in which the parts are pressed together while a current .of very high amperage or density is passed across the joint for `a very brief interval of time, generally a fraction of a second. Preferably, the shoulder 2 is undercut as at 6 (F ig. l) so thatV when the parts are pressed togetherand the welding current is passed, the flange 5 and the shoulder or bead 2l will be interlocked in the fashion indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 2.

e The third step consists in bending up the outer edge of thev disc 3 to form the brake drum`7. vThe hub and disc' are VVplacedto- A gether ina die,the machined portionof the hub acting to center the disc accurately with respect to the axis of thehub so that indrawingftheflange 7 it will be held true and concentric with the axis of rotation of the wheel when the axle ismounted inthe hole in the hub. This is an important point because the drum against which the brake is applied must run true to the axis of the hub bearings.` It i 1s not practical to weld a completed brake drum tothe hub and maintain the accurate centering of the drum required; butv by the 'improved methodv described -the`V drum is formed accurately centered. AlsoV -a combi-iied hub and brakedrumis made possible with a lowcost and of a comparatively light Weight. f

The brakedrum Welded tothe hubin this way, or rather the disc 3 of said drum, has

flange against which the spokes and the retaining plate are readily assembled and fastened-in place, thus avoiding the usual provi'sion vof a special flange on the hubv for 'this j purpose. y

-t is often desirable to provide a driving connection from the hubvto two flanges one oneach-s'ide of the spokes, particularly inthe case of the rear or driving wheels of motor the additional advantage of 4serving as a` cars. A suitable arrangement for thispurf pose is shown in Fig; 4 which shows afdisc 3 of the brake drum provided with holes at re- 'plate or ring: l0; the flange 12 and shoulder 11 being welded together for 'greater security.` Thus the'driving'force'will be transmittedA directly from the hub through the disc 3 and the ring l0 to the'spoles. The welding at '11, 12'niay be donek after the parts are assembled place; the brake drum, spokes lso for welding, and, preferably,r of two forged half hubs welded together, after which' the hub is machined to the desired design so as tof-crm ashoulder or bead 14 for application to the brake drum. The disc portion 3 of thev drum has a central opening fitting over the hub and surrounded by a flange 15, and the latter is welded to the shoulder or bead 14, after which the edge of the disc is drawnup to form theL drum 7 In Fig. 6 a retainingv ring16isillustrated fastenedby bolts 8 which' also hold the,V spokes 9; the retaining ring 16, however, not being welded to the hub. It will be understood that a similar arrangement may be applied to the hub of Figs. 1, 2 and 3, and that the vwelded retaining ring 12 may be applied to the construction shown in Fig. 6.` It is to be understood also that the shoulder on the hub may face inward as in Fig. 1 or outward as in 6, for either kind of wheel; the flange 5 or 15l on the disc of the brake drumvbeing. extended accordingly outward or inward. f l In some instances, in order to secure great- :er accuracy in certain dimensions, it will be desirable to omit some or all ofthe machining operations until after the welding and drumformingY operations are completed. The invention may be applied either in the production of a combined hub and brake drum as a complete article of manufacture or in the production of the entire wheel including such articles. Y

The invention is applicable also to other parts ofl a wheel than brake drums. By uniting parts of the structure into a unit including a central portion, the surrounding portion or portions may be afterwards stamped, bent or similarly shaped under center control Yso that the finished structure will be symmetrically or ac curately shaped with reference to `the fixed axis.

The inner edges of the discs that are to be welded to the hub make a free t over the reduced portions ofthe hub. This is essential to facilitate the welding operation; Any slight sidewise shifting of the brake disc which mayV result from such a loose iit is, however, of no importance since the flange is bent up after thewelding and is truly concentric about the axis. u

Though I have described with great particularity of detail certain embodiments of my invention, yet it is not to be understood therefrom that the invention is restricted to vthe* particular embodiments disclosed. Va-

Skilled in the art without'departure from the invention as defined in the following claims.

I/Vhat I claim is:

1. In the production of vehicle wheels the method which consists in forming a hub with an annular shoulder in a plane transverse to the axis, welding a disc thereto by axial pressure against said shoulder, re-shaping ythe outer portion of the disc to form a brake drum concentric with the axis an'd applying the spokes or equivalent parts around the hub and fastening them to the disc. Y

2. In the production of vehiclewheels the method which consists in forming a hub with annular shouldersin planes transverse to the axis, welding thereto by axial pressure a brake disc andn a retaining flange, re-shaping the outer portion of the disc to form a brake drum concentric with the axis and applying the spokes or equivalent parts around the hub and joining them to the disc and' flange.` u

3. In the .production of vehicle wheels the method which consists in forming a hub with a hole through its centre and with an annular shoulder in a plane transverse to the axis, weldingV a disc thereto by axial pressure against said shoulder and re-shaping the outer portion of the disc concentricV with the hole previously formed in the hub. i

4. In the production'of vehicle wheels,'the method which consists in forming a hub and va sheet metal disc with joint faces,.welding the disc to the hub along such faces and drawing the outer portion ofthe disc concentric with the axis of the hub to form a drum -iiange at one side of the disc. o

N5. In the production of vehicle wheels the method which consists in forming ar hub, forming a sheet metal disc with a central opening to receive .a portion of the hub, inserting such portion of the hub loosely into the disc, uniting the disctothehub in this position and drawing the outer portion of ico 'Y the disc concentric with the axis of the hub M toforin adrum flange at one side of the disc. 6. In the production of vehicle wheels the method which consists in forming a hub, uniting a lsheet metal disc thereto in approximately centered position and drawing the.

.outer portion of the disc accurately concentric with ythe axis of the hub to form a drum iange at one side of the disc. u

7. In the production of ,vehicle wheels with brake drums, the method whiclrconsists in L.,

forming a hub, uniting a sheet metal discto said hub in approximately centered position,

drawingthe outer portion of the disc accurately concentric with the axis of the hub to form a drum flange extending toward the plane of an end of the hub and applying the spokes or equivalent parts around the hub at the side of the disc which is oppositey to the edge of the drum liange.

v8. In the productionV of vehicle wheels with brake drums, the method which consists in my name.

HERBERT I-I. WILLIAMS. 

